12 January - Job 32-34

Jude Sat Aug 18, 2018 4:14 am

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

JOB 32

1Then these three men ceased to answer Iyoḇ, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

2And the wrath of Elihu, son of Baraḵ’ĕl the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, burned against Iyoḇ. His wrath burned because he declared himself right rather than Elohim.

3And against his three friends his wrath burned, because they had found no answer, and pronounced Elohim wrong.

4And because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Iyoḇ.

5And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath burned.

6And Elihu, son of Baraḵ’ĕl the Buzite, responded and said, “I am young in years, and you are aged. Therefore I was afraid to let you know my opinion.

7I said, ‘Days should speak, and many years should teach wisdom.’

8But truly it is the spirit in man and the breath of the Almighty that gives him understanding.

9The multitude are not wise, nor do the aged understand right-ruling.

10Therefore I have said, ‘Listen to me, let me also make my opinion known to you.’

11Look, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.

12And I paid close attention to you. But look, not one of you proved Iyoḇ wrong, nor answered his words.

13Lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom’ – it is Ěl that drives him away, not man.

14Now he has not ordered words against me, so I would not answer him with your words.

15They have broken down; they have not answered again; words have departed from them.

16And I have waited, but they do not speak, because they have stood still, they answered no more.

17Let me answer on my part, let me also make my opinion known.

18For I am filled with words; the spirit within me presses me.

19See, within me it is like wine not opened; it shall burst like new wineskins.

20Let me speak, so that I find relief; let me open my lips and answer.

21Please, let me not show partiality to anyone, nor let me flatter any man.

22For I do not know how to flatter, lest my Maker should soon take me away!

JOB 33

1“And yet, O Iyoḇ, please hear my speech and listen to all my words.

2See, please! I shall open my mouth, my tongue shall speak in my mouth.

3My words are from the uprightness of my heart, my lips shall speak knowledge clearly.

4The Spirit of Ěl has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5If you are able, answer me, set yourself in order before me, take your stand.

6See, I am like you before Ěl, I too have been formed out of clay.

7See, no fear of me should alarm you, nor should pressure by me be heavy on you.

8But you have spoken in my hearing, and the sound of words I hear, saying,

9‘I am clear, without transgression; I am innocent, and I have no crookedness.

10See, He finds occasions against me, He counts me as His enemy;

11He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.’

12See, in this you have not been righteous. Let me answer you: Eloah is greater than man!

13Why have you complained against Him? Because He does not answer all His matters?

14For Ěl does speak once, or twice – though one does not notice it –

15in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, while slumbering on a bed,

16then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instruction,

17to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man.

18He keeps back his being from the Pit, and his life from passing away by the sword.

19And he is reproved with pain on his bed, and with unceasing distress in his bones,

20so that his life loathes bread, and his being desirable food.

21His flesh wastes away, and his bones which were not seen stick out.

22And his being draws near the Pit, and his life to the destroyers.

23If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man His straightness,

24then He shows favour to him, and says, ‘Release him from going down to the Pit, I have found an atonement.

25‘Let his flesh become fresher than a child’s, let him return to the days of his youth.’

26He prays to Eloah, and He accepts him. And he sees His face with joy, and He restores to man his righteousness.

27He sings to men and says, ‘I have sinned, and I have perverted what was right, and it did not profit me.’

28He has redeemed my being from going down to the Pit, and my life sees the light.

29See, Ěl does all these – twice, three times with a man,

30to bring back his being from the Pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

31Pay attention, Iyoḇ, listen to me, keep silent, and let me speak.

32If there are words, answer me; speak, for I desire to declare you right.

33If not, listen to me, keep silent, and let me teach you wisdom.”

JOB 34

1Then Elihu responded and said,

2“Hear my words, you wise men; give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

3For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.

4Let us choose what is right for us; let us know among us what is good.

5For Iyoḇ has said, ‘I am righteous, but Ěl has taken away my right.

6Would I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable – without transgression.’

7What man is like Iyoḇ, who drinks mocking like water,

8who goes in company with the workers of wickedness, and walks with men of wrongness?

9For he has said, ‘It does not profit a man that he takes delight in Elohim.’

10Therefore, listen to me, you men of heart: far be it from Ěl to do wrong, and from the Almighty to commit unrighteousness.

11For He repays man’s work to him, and makes man to find a reward according to his path.

12The truth is, Ěl does not do wrong, and the Almighty does not twist right-ruling.

13Who has assigned to Him the earth? And who has laid out all the world?

14If He sets His heart on him, should He gather to Himself his spirit and his breath,

15all flesh would expire together and man return to dust.

16If you have understanding, hear this! Give ear to the sound of my words:

17Should the one who hates right-ruling govern? Or would you declare a most righteous one wrong?

18Who shall say to a sovereign: ‘Beliya‛al,’ to nobles: ‘Wrong one’? –

19who is not partial to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor? For they are all the work of His hands.

20In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; the people are shaken and pass away; and the mighty are taken away without a hand.

21For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.

22There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of wickedness hide themselves.

23For He sets a man no stated time to appear before Ěl in right-ruling.

24He breaks in pieces the mighty, without inquiry, and puts others in their place.

25Truly, He knows their works, and He shall overthrow in the night, and they are crushed.

26As wrong ones He slaps them in the presence of onlookers,

27because they turned from following Him, and they regarded not all His ways,

28so as to cause the cry of the poor to come to Him; for He hears the cry of the afflicted.

29And when He is silent, who would then condemn? And when He hides His face, who then sees Him, whether it is against a nation or a man alone?

30So that a defiled one should not reign, lest the people be ensnared.

31For has anyone said to Ěl, ‘I have taken away, I do not act corruptly.

32‘Teach me what I do not see. If I have done unrighteousness, I shall not do so again’?

33Should He repay you because you have refused? For you choose, and not I, therefore speak what you know.

34Let men of heart say to me, and a wise man who listens to me:

35‘Iyoḇ does not speak with knowledge, and his words are without wisdom.’

36Would that Iyoḇ be tried to the end, since his answers are like those of wicked men!

37For he adds rebellion to his sin – he claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against Ěl.”